Columbia University - Index

Columbia University - Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health - Index

" I now analyze
problems by looking for
deeper causes and viewing them
multidimensionally, which often
paves the way to solutions.?
THOMAS CAMPBELL JACKSON,
MPH '98
Consultant, Healthcare Policy
For seven years, Thomas Campbell Jackson accumulated a wealth of health policy
experience working for the Research and Evaluation Offi ce of the City of New York's
Employee Health Benefi ts Program.
"Within that system, I recognized that certain problems emerged again and
again,? says Mr. Jackson, who at that time served as assistant director of the program.
"Eventually, I decided that to broaden my perspective and sharpen my problemsolving
skills, I would benefi t from returning to the classroom.?
Lured by an encouraging colleague who was also a faculty member at the Mailman
School, Mr. Jackson left city government to pursue a degree in health policy and
management.
After graduating in 1998, he was offered the position of director of the City's
Health Benefi ts Program, where he employed many of the skills he had acquired at
the Mailman School, including those in accounting, budgeting, statistics, and data
analysis.
"I value those tools and use them to this day. But just as important for me was the
'big picture' perspective I acquired,? he explains.
Mr. Jackson adds: "I now analyze problems by looking for deeper causes and
viewing them multidimensionally, which often paves the way to solutions.?
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